Last Updated on February 27, 2026 by Monica Castillo
I found myself laughing at the strangest, smallest things in Operation Taco Gary’s not because the movie asked me to, but because the sheer chaos on screen was almost impressive in its commitment. There’s a moment early on when Luke, played by Dustin Milligan, is practically dragged across a muddy field by his estranged brother Danny, played by Simon Rex, and I couldn’t stop watching the way Milligan’s expressions oscillate between terror and exasperation. It’s a brief flicker of real comedy in an otherwise relentless sprint through silliness.
Mikey Kvamme, who both wrote and directed, clearly wants us to feel like we’ve been dropped into a cartoon world where logic has no place and velocity is king. His camera never lingers, the jokes hit like rapid-fire bullets, and the plot or the thinnest scaffolding that passes for one exists mostly to keep the brothers in motion. Danny shows up out of nowhere on the day Luke is leaving for Ottawa to join a paleontology center, insisting that his life of quiet research must be interrupted by a mission to protect a mysterious stolen object. He’s armed with a ketamine gun and enough conspiracy theories to fill a library. Along for the ride is Allison (Brenda Song), who believes everything Danny says, and a parade of minor players, including Jason Biggs playing himself, who are all just as unhinged as the main duo.
There’s a rhythm here, a manic heartbeat that Kvamme clearly loves. Danny is a motor-mouthed tornado, constantly spewing information that may or may not matter, while Luke bounces off walls trying to escape a story that seems designed to trap him in absurdity. Editing by Josh Crockett and Spencer Houck keeps the energy crackling, with quick cuts and visual gags that sometimes work, sometimes just add to the dizzying pace. There’s even a chase through the woods that lands a rare clever joke: running across uneven ground isn’t easy, and watching these characters flail reminded me of why physical comedy still has power if you’re paying attention.
Highly Recommended: The Gray House 2026 Parents Guide
The film’s attempts at strangeness often feel like a game of “who can outdo the last ridiculous idea.” A secret bomb shelter accessed through a portable toilet, an alien played by Doug Jones who somehow turns humans into guacamole-spewing puppets, and an ongoing joke about a character named Todd Simmons that might make sense only to Kvamme himself—all pile up faster than the brain can process. I kept thinking, is this funny, or just exhausting? There’s audacity here, and it’s impossible not to admire the commitment. But even in its most outrageous moments, the movie rarely gives you time to land a laugh before hurtling to the next, stranger beat.
Milligan and Rex have chemistry, but it’s fragile; Milligan’s groundedness is constantly tested against Rex’s mania, and the movie’s relentless pace doesn’t give us much space to breathe or enjoy the absurdity. The brothers’ reunion is immediate, the stakes unclear but urgent, and the world around them is so full of distractions secret societies, ketamine bricks, alien guacamole that it’s hard to care who gets what or why. Kvamme is chasing an energy more than a story, and in that, the film is exhilarating if exhausting.
By the end, Operation Taco Gary’s is less a comedy and more a sprint of ambition, one where the mechanics of timing are there but the jokes themselves feel undercooked. I kept thinking about that field scene the moment when Milligan’s Luke finally stumbles and rolls into a puddle and realized that for all its noise and mess, the movie has moments of pure, if fleeting, joy. They just don’t come often enough.
It’s a movie that leaves you dizzy and vaguely amused, like stepping off a carnival ride and trying to remember which parts were real. And somehow, that’s oddly fitting: Operation Taco Gary’s wants to be chaotic, and it succeeds wildly. Laughter, though? That’s on you.
Operation Taco Gary’s Parents Guide
Not Rated by the MPA – This one hasn’t been given an official rating, so discretion is advised. It’s a chaotic, fast-moving comedy that doesn’t pull punches in its content.
Violence & Intensity – Expect cartoonish but relentless mayhem. Characters crash into each other, tumble through woods, and get roughed up by shadowy pursuers. Nothing is gruesome, but the constant motion and loud panic might make younger kids tense or anxious.
Language – The dialogue is peppered with profanity, shouted in panic, exasperation, or bravado. There are no overt racial or homophobic slurs, but the tone is brash, crude, and relentless—an anything-goes kind of comedy where the words hit fast, just like the action.
Sexual Content / Nudity –Sexual jokes are more bizarre than realistic. There’s no nudity, but a few scenes—like the alien guacamole gag dip into adult territory conceptually. They’re absurd and over-the-top, but still not something children would understand or need to see.
Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking – This film treats substances like props for chaos. Danny carries a ketamine gun, has an “emergency cocaine” brick, and constantly talks about conspiracy-fueled chemical chaos. Nobody sits down to “use responsibly” it’s all gag, all spectacle. You’ll notice it, and your teen will too, because Kvamme isn’t subtle about it.
Age Recommendations – This is firmly for older teens and adults. The manic pacing, crude humor, over-the-top drug references, and cartoonish violence make it unsuitable for children under 15. Even some sensitive teens might struggle to follow the nonstop chaos or find it funny.
Highly Recommended: The Bluff 2026 Parents Guide
